When blows out the candles on his sugar-free birthday cake this August, there will be 39 of them. For most people, that's no big deal, because it means you get one final year to enjoy your 30s. However, for most quarterbacks, 39 years old might as well be 80, because that's how old most of them look on the field once they hit their 39th birthday
Michael Del Zotto Kids Jersey . Throughout NFL history, age 39 has been a brick wall for quarterbacks. After their 38th birthday, almost every great quarterback ended up retiring, and if they didn't, they struggled. With that in mind let's take a look at all the players that Father Time has claimed. Quarterback struggles at age 39 : Although Manning went out as a winner, no one's going to remember any regular-season games he played during his final season, because they were all ugly. Manning was 39 in 2015 and played like it: He hobbled his way through nine games before being pulled due to injury. The Broncos quarterback also threw nine touchdown pa ses and 17 interceptions. Age 38: Completes 66.2 percent of his pa ses for 4,727 yards, 39 TD, 15 INT (12-4 record) Age 39: Completes 59.8 percent of his pa ses for 2,249 yards, 9 TD, 17 INT (7-2 record) Craig Morton: Manning isn't the only former Broncos quarterback who struggled at age 39 -- so did Morton. After an improbable 1981 season where Morton went 10-5 as a starter at age 38, he couldn't follow up his hot streak at age 39. In 1982, Morton started the first two games for the Broncos, but didn't do enough to impre s coach Dan Reeves. Morton Week 2. The 1982 season ended up being his final one in the NFL. Age 38: Completes 59.8 percent of his pa ses for 3,195 yards, 21 TD, 14 INT (10-5 record) Age 39: Completes 69.2 percent of his pa ses for 193 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT (1-2 record) George Blanda: Blanda basically played forever, but at age 39, he did learn something: He wasn't good enough to be an NFL quarterback anymore. Although Blanda would play in the NFL as a kicker until he was 48, he only started one game as a quarterback after he struggled through the 1966 season at age 39. Age 38: Completes 42.1 percent of his pa ses for 2,542 yards, 20 TD, 30 INT (3-9 record) Age 39: Completes 45.0 percent of his pa ses for 1,764 yards, 17 TD, 21 INT (3-5 record) Vinny Testaverde: At age 38
Jacob Markstrom Kids Jersey , Testaverde looked invincible. The quarterbrack led the Jets to a 10-6 record, which at the time marked only the second time in 15 seasons that the Jets had won 10 or more games in a season. The next season, the curse of being 39 hit. Testaverde was benched for Chad Pennington just five weeks in because coach Herm Edwards thought the offense mistakes. Age 38: Completes 59.0 percent of his pa ses for 2,752 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT (10-6 record) Age 39: Completes 65.1 percent of his pa ses
Vancouver Canucks Men Jersey for 499 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT (1-3 record) Jon Kitna: At age 38, Kitna did an admirable job filling in for the Cowboys after went down with an injury in 2010 (and yes, that pretty much seems to be the story of the Cowboys' season every year). After Romo healed, Kitna stuck around in Dallas and only threw a total of 10 pa ses at age 39. Age 38: Completes 65.7 percent of his pa ses for 2,365 yards, 16 TD, 12 INT (4-5 record ) Age 39: Completes 60.0 percent of his pa ses for 87 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT (1-3 record) Kerry Collins: Collins' career was already drifting downward once he hit age 39, which ended up being his final season in the NFL. The bad news for Collins is that not only was he old during his final season, but he had to start three times for a historically bad Colts team in 2011 that didn't have Peyton Manning. Age 38: Completes 57.6 percent of his pa ses for 1,823 yards, 14 TD, 8 INT (2-5 with Titans ) Age 39: Completes 49.0 percent of his pa ses for 481 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT (0-3 with Colts) Earl Morrall: At age 38, Morrall was the quarterback of the Miami Dolphins for nine games during their undefeated season in 1972 and he went 9-0. A year later, the Dolphins, in a season that ended with a 12-2 record, turned back to Bob Griese, who had that had plagued him in 1972. Age 38: Completes 55.3 percent of his pa ses for 1,360 yards, 14 TD, 8 INT (9-0 record) Age 39: Completes 44.7 percent of his pa ses for 253 yards, 0 TD, 4 INT (0-1 record for Morrall) Here's a short look
Tyler Graovac Kids Jersey at few other quarterbacks who did nothing after turning 39. Players who started games at age 38, but never started another game after turning 39: Dave Kreig, Jeff Garcia and Kent Stabler. Quarterbacks who retired after 38: Kurt Warner, John Elway, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Phil Simms, Fran Tarkenton, Y.A. Tittle.Let's talk about Tom Brady Brady does have everyone on this list: His $200 cookbook. The quarterback has a notoriously strict diet -- he doesn't really eat sugar, white flour, olive oil, iodized salt, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, eggplants, caffeine or dairy products -- and he has been taking care of his body for several years. Brady's 36 touchdown pa ses in 2015 were the second-most ever for a 38-year-old, trailing only Manning's 39 touchdowns in 2014. Although things didn't work out for Manning the next year, there's no reason to think things won't work out for Brady. Most of his game revolves around his ability to read a defense and his ability to get the ball out quickly. Those are two things that Brady shouldn't lose as he ages. If Brady can avoid taking any serious punishment on the field, there's no reason he shouldn't be able to match the two quarterbacks who were actually highly succe sful after turning 39: Warren Moon and Brett Favre. Favre and Moon are the only two quarterbacks in NFL history to throw 20 or more touchdown pa ses in a season after their 39th birthday. One of Favre's best seasons game at age 40 when he threw 33 touchdown pa ses for a Vikings team that made it all the
Michael Del Zotto Men Jersey way to the NFC title game. As for Moon, he turned 39 during the 1995 season, a year where he threw 33 touchdown pa ses. The Hall of Famer also threw 25 touchdown pa ses for the Seahawks in 1997 at the age of 41. Favre and Moon are the only two quarterbacks in NFL history to throw 20 or more touchdown pa ses in a season after their 39th birthdays, but that's a list that will likely get longer this year thanks to Brady.
